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Egerstedt Named New Executive Dir. of the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines

Jul 29, 2016 | Atlanta, GA

The Georgia Institute of Technology today announced the appointment of Magnus Egerstedt as the new executive director of the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines (IRIM).

Egerstedt is the Schlumberger Professor in the College of Engineering’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, where he serves as associate chair for Research and External Affairs. He has been a member of the faculty since 2001, and leads the Georgia Robotics and Intelligent Systems Laboratory (GRITS Lab), which focuses research on control and coordination of complex networks such as multi-robot systems, mobile-sensor networks, and cyber-physical systems.

“We are excited to welcome Magnus into the role of executive director for IRIM. His enthusiasm and vision, coupled with his leadership ability and passion to support faculty, make him the obvious choice to serve in the role,” said Stephen E. Cross, executive vice president for Research. “His work over the years has served to enhance Tech’s reputation as a thought leader in the robotics and intelligent machines space. I look forward to working with him.”

“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as the next executive director of IRIM,” Egerstedt said. “IRIM has a bright future as a research leader and industry partner, and I am looking forward to charting the course for the next phase of robotics at Georgia Tech.”

Egerstedt emerged as the top candidate from an internal search to replace the founding executive director of IRIM, Henrik I. Christensen, who is moving to the University of California, San Diego to serve as director of the newly formed Contextual Robotics Institute and professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the Jacobs School of Engineering.

“I am very pleased to learn the next IRIM executive director will be Magnus,” Christensen said. “I have known him since we were both in Stockholm. He is an excellent researcher and a highly respected member of the research community. He has all the right skills to secure the continued growth of the robotics efforts at Georgia Tech.”

Egerstedt will begin his duties at IRIM on Aug. 1, and will continue to lead the GRITS Lab in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Stockholm University and master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering physics and applied mathematics, respectively, from the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm. After completing his Ph.D., Egerstedt was a postdoctoral scholar at Harvard University.

“Henrik helped build a world-class robotics program at Tech. Magnus has both the leadership skills and outstanding research in this area to continue IRIM’s growth and impact on the robotics field,” said Gary S. May, Southern Company Chair and dean of the College of Engineering.

Launched as an Interdisciplinary Research Institute in fall 2013, the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines was built upon foundational work developed over the previous seven years in the former Robotics & Intelligent Machines Center at Georgia Tech.

IRIM brings together robotics researchers from across campus—spanning colleges, departments, and individual labs—to create new collaborative opportunities for faculty, strengthen partnerships with industry and government, and maximize the societal impact of the transformative robotics research conducted at Georgia Tech.